Texas could become the first state to require Bible readings in public schools, but religious scholars who reviewed the proposed list have questioned its academic merit.
“We’re dealing with the Hebrew text, and then we confront different translations and different translational decisions and debate whether those are accurate or inaccurate,” Buster said. “So, there isn’t a Jewish way to translate a particular word, and a Christian way to translate a particular word. Those different communities would probably come with different sensitivities.”
Mostly true, but many translations are produced by institutions which require their scholars to adhere to a statement of faith and therefore alter translations to fit their dogmas. Translations which prioritise certain Christian dogmas will (mis)translate words or passages (e.g. translating certain Hebrew Bible passages in the future tense in order to make them seem like prophecy about Jesus despite there being no grammatical or contextual basis for doing so other than the theological framework they are shoehorning the text into).
I’m not opposed to the Bible being read in schools for literary/cultural/historical educational purposes, but this should be done from a text critical perspective using translations which are suitable for academic study… which is never going to happen in the US. Using the Bible to prop up narrow-minded ideologies with no concern for the historical context of when the texts in it were written, the authors’ varied and often contradicting intentions and the historical developments which led to the dogmas different people profess today has no place is schools.
Mostly true, but many translations are produced by institutions which require their scholars to adhere to a statement of faith and therefore alter translations to fit their dogmas. Translations which prioritise certain Christian dogmas will (mis)translate words or passages (e.g. translating certain Hebrew Bible passages in the future tense in order to make them seem like prophecy about Jesus despite there being no grammatical or contextual basis for doing so other than the theological framework they are shoehorning the text into).
I’m not opposed to the Bible being read in schools for literary/cultural/historical educational purposes, but this should be done from a text critical perspective using translations which are suitable for academic study… which is never going to happen in the US. Using the Bible to prop up narrow-minded ideologies with no concern for the historical context of when the texts in it were written, the authors’ varied and often contradicting intentions and the historical developments which led to the dogmas different people profess today has no place is schools.